The Art of Captaincy - Mike Brearley

It's the third edition. Some changes surely. Mike Brearley, is a respected psychoanalyst and author and one of England's finest captains. 

A captain's job involves holding contradictions in balance - indulging team mates yet keeping a tight leash, micro managing every dimension of team life yet with a light touch. It is about tweaking levers of influence and about planning right down to rest and pre-match warm up and training sessions. He needs to draw the balance between individual and group motivation and success, between planning and intuition, between discipline and freedom, between conscious thought and instinct, between intervention and letting be, between seeking opinion and being in command. He says the captain must know that no two lions (players) are alike. What I liked most was that he says that as he wrote the book, Brearley discovers that he badly wanted to win - which is perhaps what made him find the answers, go through the fear.

Clearly he says, the captain is responsible for results - specially losing. It's his job to get everyone together, keep the herd together. He should be flexible in his approach tactically and deploy whatever skills players have at their disposal. He has to get the best out of the team without suppressing flair and uniqueness. Each captain is different, so just be natural and find your own way.

A captain has to have the long term and short term perspective, understand tactical and psychological aspects of the game. No matter what, a captain should not panic whatever the situation. Don't be helpless, look for options. Take advise. Most importantly - don't be afraid to lose - don't be too defensive. A captain should also have a good memory to repeat patterns, find weaknesses and strengths. He should be alive to different possibilities of attack and defence, experiment and convention. He should give clear roles to his players and give clear directions while motivating his bowlers.

In choosing a captain, the old story of class vs charisma is long gone. One has to choose the best suited person in terms of leadership ability, skills to fit into the team, knowledge of the game, who brings tactical shrewdness, brings the best out of his players - and through all that delivers best results. 

The best players need not be the best captains. The qualities required of the captain are - courage, integrity, fairness, goal driven and who can take people along. He must care for his team, be a learner and a motivator and be good at planning ahead. The captain should avoid nepotism, class distinctions, elitism. He should be an avid reader of the game and its history. Most importantly he should not hesitate to take the unpopular stand.

A captain, once appointed, takes stock of his resources - assesses, plans and prepares. He understands the strengths and weaknesses of his team. He establishes his approach clearly - to win in whichever way he prefers. He plans for practice and coaching - pre-season and pre-match, fitness and net practice. He needs to be involved in building a successful side. He should have data such as videos of players at nets and matches to analyse and coach to improve. He needs to understand pitches, get information about them, have a sense of the injuries to players and how to manage them and have replacements ready. He should certainly be good enough to deal and discuss with other stake holders.

As a part of the selection committee he should have no cliques, no favorites, he should not be too close to the boys and maintain complete confidentiality. He should be able to take calls such as not changing  a winning side or picking horses for courses. Ideally pick the best wicket keeper, and have specialist bowlers to take wickets. Go with form where possible. Have clarity of goals like winning each game. Look for character in his players. 

A captain can insist on a time table for training and fielding practice where they practice close in and out field practice. He should get acquanited with ground conditions by talking to the groundsmen and others.

The captain must ensure a healthy dressing room atmosphere. He must get his team to behave like a team and help each other out in the middle and out side. He gives the example of how he and Randall once chased a huge total by putting a target of 15 minute segments and trying to survive the same. He should get his team to be supportive and encouraging, censure players who do not fit into the culture. Batting orders need not be changed unless necessary.

He gives the example of how Middlesex (his team) was playing against Surrey and after two days of rain they came out to play and got Surrey out for 40. Seeing the conditions they decided not to bat and played just one ball, declared, and put Surrey in again, got them out for 87 all out. By this time the pitch had eased out a bit and they scored 137 for 1. Hell of a gamble but makes immense sense.

Before he gets on the field the captain has to think ahead - get the players on the field together, set the right tone, set the right field,the right player in the right position, make eye contact. He has to be exact and exacting in his demands. He has to be aware of which bowler may do better from which end keeping the wind, the boundary, the type of bowler in mind. A captain should also encourage others to think from a tactical point of view, should encourage and motivate the others. He should clearly avoid favoritism and give everyone a fair chance.

While placing the field the captain should play on the batsman's mind - like leaving gaps to make the batsman commit mistakes. Typical fields are 5-4 (defensive), 6-3 (offensive) and 7-2 (in control fully). For a 7-2 field the bowler should have great skill -like Lillee who he mentions. The captain must know the range of the bowler (in fact of all players).

One of the best stories he tells is that of a lion keeper he meets who has had a 100% success rate and when asked how he manages to train lions so well he says - no two lions are alike. Brearley says its the same with people - no two people are alike and he must know how to handle each one differently and know what they respond to. He should have a general strategy, be flexible in approach as conditions change. He must constantly play on the batsman's mind and put pressure on them and serve up what they would least like to face. Most players do not know their strengths and weakness, what they are capable of. He should know if their strengths are strengths or weaknesses, if they like things a certain way. He can be innovative with fielding positions depending on conditions and batsmen. He should take advantage of the batsman's inner turmoils. Mostly, a captain should never give up. Also, trust your intuition.

Brearely is ruthless - he believes in bowling bouncers to get wickets as a psychological ploy. He says every player has their own sense of aggression - some need to be needled. For example Botham needed a stick and Willis needed a carrot and constant encouragement. He encourages the game to be played in the right spirit without cheating, sledging and so on.

While on averages he says we are all aware that some runs count more than others and averages do not tell the whole story. The classic dilemma of individual or team - he says one must play for the team success which is a product of individual success. He says groups tend to take a particular characteristic and the attitude of the group can affect the individual. It is the captain who influences his team and its character, and must nudge it in the right direction, overseeing the actions and behaviors. He should be clear, compassionate and insist on discipline. He should display courage and be ready for the impossible. He cites the case of a match when Marsh was captain and the opponent had only 78 to get and he told his team they will put up a good show. Lillee however did not buy that and said they are going to win and came back and bowled them out for 61 - a side that included Vivian Richards.

In team meetings he said its best to listen more. One can stir up the team with a ritual that is the team's own. Team meetings certainly helped he says as someone or the other brings some important insights. The captain must make everyone feel like they belong. He must also make it clear that the focus is on preparation and not the outcome. He must facilitate and encourage talks about the art and craft which helps them feel better. He must find the balance between discipline and creativity.

While on Stars and Others he says one must accept individual differences. However he says the captain can insist on punctuality, uniform, so the team looks organised. He says it might help to ask the team what they wanted from him. Definitely do not miss a chance to praise players when they do well. Also see who takes how to praise and give accordingly.

As captain he must also be aware that allotting rooms is important so players are comfortable and in a growing environment and not rub off on each other badly. He should set high standards and expect it. He has to earn respect by example and allow talent to flower. He must also understand that no one is perfect and the aim is to improve playing ability, character, mental make up. He has to be tough yet considerate, strict and indulgent, instill the will to win. He should ram home the advantage and cling desperately when losing it. He should be available to receive the emotional demands and pressures from those he is responsible for.

...

Such then is how a captain should be and its an art that can be refined by learning and practicing like all other skills. Keeping notes, having discussions etc will certainly go a long way in the making of a successful captain.      

As a Man Thinketh - James Allen

James Allen ((1864-1912) wrote this bestseller as his third book. It has some fundamental ideas that perhaps became the founding principles of many self-help programs - the idea of 100% ownership. You are responsible for everything, make it happen. Some of this ideas.

You are what you think. It's not fate, it's you. You are the master of your fate. Always believe that. When you're stuck seek answers and you will find them.

Thought and character are one - the outer can be found in the inner. Your external circumstances grow out of your thoughts. 

 You attract what you secretly harbour - what you love, fear.

Justice is exact - you get what you deserve (or secretly desire).

Your circumstances reveal you to yourself.

You attract what you are, not what you want.

You are fighting against an 'effect' on the outside while preserving the 'cause' inside. 

Suffering is always the effect of wrong thought in some direction when you are out of harmony with yourself.

Stop whining and understand the laws. Alter your thought and witness rapid change in your conditions. Your mind determines your health. Cheerful thoughts dissipate ills.

When we think thoughts with purpose there is intelligent achievement.

Conceive a legitimate purpose in your heart and accomplish it. 

Strength grows with purpose. Eliminate doubt and fear - thought allied fearlessly to purpose becomes a creative force.

He who has conquered weakness, and has put away all selfish thoughts, belongs neither to the oppressor nor the oppressed. He is free.

The higher you lift your thoughts the more manly, upright and righteous he becomes, the greater will be the achievement.

He who would accomplish little, must sacrifice little, he who would attain highly must sacrifice greatly.

The dreamers are the saviors of the world.

He who cherished a beautiful vision, a lofty ideal in his heart, will one day realise it.

There is no such thing as luck. 

The strength of the effort is the measure of the result. 

Calmness of the mind is one of the beautiful jewels of wisdom.

The more tranquil a man becomes, the greater is his success, his influence, his power for good.

Calmness is power. Peace, be still. 

...

Simple, powerful and make immense sense,

Captaincy Talks Series - Talk 1

I was chatting with M, HT and MJ about captaincy the other day, and we discussed a few points which I believe can be used as guiding principles. 

Making the Journey Bearable to all - Taking Time to Mentor

1) The Captain Should Produce Results

The captain's main job is to deliver results - and he must do all he can to deliver wins. He is made captain because the team management feels that he is the best person to deliver results. He will be judged only by his results and nothing else.

2) Credit to Team, Blame to Captain

All wins go to the team, all losses and blame comes to the captain - part of the deal. So be prepared and act accordingly. When things go wrong you are left holding the baby.

3) Play the Best Resources 

The captain must ensure that the best resources are playing - the best XI must play. Any compromise will compromise the team, the result, and will affect the captains record. Even the slightest compromise under the mistaken notion that it can be covered up will haunt you at a crucial time. It's sheer arrogance if any captain feels they can do with less than the best resources. 

4) Captain Must be Fair to Earn Trust and Loyalty of the Team 

Apart from being strategically poor, not playing the best players (normally out of bias) sends a signal to the entire team that the captain is not fair. Once the team feels that the captain is not fair, he loses respect. Players start playing for themselves, the team gets divided and we lose the edge. One cannot win championships with such an atmosphere. On the other hand if the captain is fair and fights for what is fair, the team trusts him and backs him and fight as one for him.

5) Get the best Out of Everyone 

Having ensured the best XI the captain must ensure he is getting the best out of everyone by using all their skills fully. To do this the captain must have an understanding of what each one brings in terms of skill and attitude, their strengths and weaknesses. The best way is to talk to them, talk to their team mates, coaches, watch them in different circumstances etc. Most players do not know their potential. A good captain can see it and helps them achieve it. Eg. Pinch hitters, part time bowlers. Sehwag as opener and off spinner.

6) Prepare for the Toss - It's Crucial

The best XI is followed by our decision to bat or bowl after the toss. Unless there's a clear advantage in the conditions for bowlers, it's best to put runs on the board and put pressure on the opponents. It gives tactical advantage. Enough thought must go into what they course of action should be after the toss.

7) Gain a Sliver of an Advantage and Drive it Home  

All of the above is to get a competitive advantage over the opponent. The entire idea of winning is to grab the advantage and press it home ruthlessly. If we do not have the advantage we must hold on our position without slipping too far out of the game and try and get a foothold in the door and then come back. Eg. India -Australia at Calcutta, VVS Laxman's match

8) Be Ruthless

Winning is all about being ruthless. Practice being ruthless in every competition, in every game, every situation. Winning must become second nature. No relaxing. 

9) Don't Create Chances, Let Each one Earn Their Place

Ruthlessness extends to resources as well. Resources must earn their place and not be handed it out in an out-of-turn manner. This will not only hurt that resource, it will hurt the team and the captaincy record. When a resource is ready, the opportunity will create itself. The captain need not create chances. 

10) Poor, Good and Great Captains and How They Show

Under a poor captain, the entire team's performance goes down - even good players do not perform well. Under a good captain, all the main players to perform and he will carry much of the load himself. But a great captain will get everyone to perform better than their expectations. Great captains normally show their belief in the fringe players and motivate them to give an extra 10-20% which adds up heavily to the final tally. It also eases the pressure off the main players.

To get that extra edge, our job will be to focus on getting a little more out of the fringe players by believing in them, setting expectations, giving any coaching inputs etc. Eg. All good captains - MSD.

11) Hope vs Faith

The good captain operates on faith which is very different from operating on hope. Hope implies there is no belief. Hope implies we are not sure and are taking a chance. Faith comes from a stronger space that translates into the player feeling trusted. The difference in hoping and trusting shows in the players performance. Eg..MSD - Joginder Singh

12) Learn the Art and Craft of the Game 

Much of cricketing knowledge or understanding passes on through deep discussions on craft, strategy, tactics, history and story telling. Mumbai cricket revels in that culture. To gain faster exposure, captains and aspiring captains must learn to engage actively, ask questions in all kinds of fora more so with senior players, captains etc. Eg. Mumbai.

13) Great Player Does not Translate to Great Leader

The best players need not be the best leaders. So giving your star player the burden of Captaincy may not always be right. It may affect negatively in two ways - one, that the star players performance gets affected and the team performance subsequently and two, sometimes the pressure a star performer brings on the team does not aid the others to perform. Unless the star is also a good leader who can get others to perform as well, it's better to look for a different captain so team performance is not affected. The star player can focus on his game and the leader can focus on the rest of the team. (Eg Tendulkar)

14) Don't Give the Opponent a Chance to Get Up

Every little change in the course of the game gives an opportunity to seal the game - do not relax once you have the game fully under control. Finish it as soon as you can, by using your best resources, else things can go really bad if we let the opponent breathe. Eg. All games that were in our control and we let the opponents get away.

These are a few points that came out of the discussion. It was an excellent discussion and we hope to have more such.

The Feedback Series - S C

I love good feedback. When it comes unsolicited, even better. This came in today, most unexpectedly, from a student I taught last year at the Department of Dance, University of Hyderabad. Absolute treasure.

"Happy vinayaka chavithi sir 

Hope you are doing good 

S C here from MPA Bharatanatyam HCU 2026 passed out batch 

I got a job as dance coordinator in Christ university Bangalore with 8LPA

Arts management truly helped me in achieving it . I followed most of the concepts I have learned in arts management sincerely & here I am . 

I am truly greatfull to be part of the learning’s , couldn’t explain how it changed the way I see myself now , with more learning mindset , goal setting, feedback management, asking for help, wishing everyone each and everything moulding me into a better person day by day. 

I won’t stop here sir, I will crack UGC NET and try my best in securing seat as a PhD scholar in HCU again with the same learning’s that brought me till here today.

My heartfelt Thanks to you sir ."

Made my day. 

Thought for the Day - Difficult is a State of Mind

Anything difficult is a State of mind. If we label anything that seems unknown, uncomfortable, needs effort as difficult, it will get difficult and harder to achieve. 

By labelling it difficult we make it more difficult than it is, make it easier to give up, make it easier not to achieve. Your shoulders tighten, face grows long, body stiffens, heart grows heavier.

Stop labeling. Just do it. If you have up label it just say it's a breeze. It will be. Life is a State of mind.

Vinod Bhai and the Abids Second Hand Book Market

Vinod Bhai is the senior pro of the Abids Second Hand market. In the past four decades I suspect he has missed very few Sunday visits to his beloved market. To get an idea of his love for books and through them this beautiful market one must visit his blog vinodekbote@blogspot.com

Books, authors...my world expanded many times thanks to Vinod. He has gifted me several books, many I have borrowed from him, helped me buy or find some particular book I was searching for, takes my friends and guests for a tour of the market and every once in a while gives me these wonderful surprises - pictures of my books among many others.

One doesn't know if one should feel good about seeing your book in the second hand market - wondering who has discarded your masterpiece - or just feel good to see your book next to a Sydney Sheldon, Jeffrey Archer, Edward de Bono, Paulo Coelho and others. 

I think I will feel both and enjoy the moment. Thanks Vinod Bhai for spotting both 'If You Love Someone...' and 'This Way is Easier Dad' and sending me the pics.

The Phuket Diaries - Day 3

This being a day of light activity, a trip was planned to the some sights and then the Old Town in Phuket which was a quaint part of the town with a market and food and stuff. I didn't do any research this trip, being in some kind of a daze and just followed the others like Mary's little lamb. So the taxi van came at 10 and we got our breakfast done  by then and hopped on. It was a longish ride.

Wat Chalong temple

The place where they burst crackers after their wishes are fulfilled

The first stop was at the 19th century Wat Chalong temple complex (aka Wat Chaiyatthararam) which had many beautiful temples. It is Phuket's largest temple and most visited where people come to pay respects to several monks - chiefly two monks Luang Pho Chaem and Luang Pho Chuang who helped the citizens fight against the Chinese Rebellion in 1876 by helping out the injured with their knowledge of herbs and so on.

The 3 storied chedi

Ground floor

People come and pay respects to the monks in what I presumed was the main temple. There are signs that tell visitors to dress appropriately. I could not follow the rituals they did but it did look like they were praying. Outside there is a small enclosure where they burst fire crackers when their wishes are granted. 

Many Buddha statues

Paintings of Buddha's life on the walls and ceiling

3rd floor - where a splinter of the Buddha's bone are kept

The huge, most impressive building is called a 'chedi' which is three floors high. You can walk right up to the top floor. There are many statues of the Buddha, paintings of his life on the walls and the ceiling. As we go to the top floor, it has a glass enclosure which has a splinter of  the bone of the Buddha. From the top floor one can also see good views of the complex. There are many other buildings, all of them beautiful but we neither hired a guide nor knew enough so we headed out.

Khao Rang Hill

Khao Rang Hill City View Point

Next stop was some view point which was quite scenic - one can see the sea in the distance. Its green, quiet, a few monkeys around, one man playing some serene music like a DJ. We wandered around, got some pictures of the panaromic view, enjoyed the quiet and left. From there we could see the famous Big Buddha statue on a nearby hill and wondered if we had time to visit that and still go to the Old Town. But time was short and there was some heavy rain predicted so we looked at the Big Buddha from far and headed to Old Town.

Old Town Phuket

Old Town was beautiful. We entered it through a flea market which had all sorts of stuff - clothes, knick knacks and so on until we stepped out onto the main street in Old Town. It was really quaint with a lot of Sino Portuguese structures, many buildings that remind you of old British architecture or of some Goan buildings.

We shopped around a bit - I bought myself a toy scooter.

 Outside on the street Rajesh and I tried some interesting ice creams. One nice feature is that they serve chilled coconut water. I tried something which had ice apples in the mix. We wandered in and out of ships until we ended up in a restaurant that was suggested by our jovial taxi man Charlie. 

The food was great, beer chilled, service warm, decor quaint, so no complaints. There was an antique gramophone, type writer and many such. We finished our lunch and headed back. Rajesh and NisHa had some work back at the resort so the rest of us got off at the Premium outlet which has all brands. We shopped a bit and got a cab on their reliable app Grab. The heavens opened up on our lunch ride back home and it took an hour to get back. 

The restaurant - perfect

Indian shops

An evening of fun and stories and celebrations and we were done for the day. That pretty much ends the trip.

The Phuket Diaries - Day 2

Day 2 was an intense day. Rajesh booked a travel company for some package where we visit a few islands on a speed boat and generally get a hang of Thailand and its many islands. I am generally wary of water but then this seems to be my year of water. 

Off to the speed boat

Breakfast at the Coffee Club was brilliant - English Breakfast. Surprisingly they had a door that had sensors but it would open only if you pressed a part of it or waved a hand at it - not automatic like it claimed. I could as well turn a knob. So I stood before it for a while expecting it to open but it didn't and someone came and did that thing with their hand and all was well.

Limestone

Our ride came, that same huge 12 seater which was very comfortable, a very courteous driver who drove us for an hour across the island.  He drove very gently, taking utmost care to go slowly over the speed breakers, staying to a side when making a turn. nothing like our traffic here which is all about showing everyone who is strongest. Culture does show in traffic.

Canoes

We reached the jetty from where our speed boat was to take off and we were ushered politely into a small cafe by a very polite young man who smiled continuously (he smiled in a day more than i would in two months I reckon) , surrounded by greenery. We tried some country liquor, very strong, bought some flippers, caps (I got one with roses) and were all set to go. Our guide was Patrick which is the Irish name he says - looks like a film star and was a lot of energy and fun. He led us to the speedboat, told us not to litter stuff, gave us soft drinks and water, some do's and don'ts, the general itinerary and we were off zipping cross the Andaman sea to what I feel must have been the farthest point.

Green lagoons

After half an hour or so we stopped near a cove or a lagoon overhung by limestone karst formations - quite beautiful - some 60 kms away from Phuket. Then we went ahead to what was possibly Panak Island. I guess we were traversing the Phang Nga Bay from whatever literature I could read. The Phang Nga Bay has about 42 islet in a 400 sq km area, with Krabi being on the other side of the bay. 10000 years ago they say one could walk from Phuket to Krabi, now there's a sea.

Floating village

Next we went to a place which I think was Hong island (Hong apparently means room) and saw many speedboats stopping there. Soon as we stopped some canoes drew up along side and we stepped in, two per canoe, and the canoe chaps paddled us away into beautiful lagoons inside the island, sometimes we had to fully lean back horizontally because it was quite low. its called an emerald lagoon and was quite stunning.

Ice Cream - James Bond Island

The canoe guys were quite tuned in to Indians and started singing some Hindi songs and doing Shahrukh Khan gestures and even presented the women in the canoe with a ring made of some root. After about half an hour of this beautiful canoeing we headed back to the speed boat and hopped on.

Crazy rock formation

Onwards to the next island which if I remember right was the Koh Panyee village, which stands on stilts entirely. It was built in 1880 apparently by sea faring Muslim fishermen from Indonesia. About 360 families live on the village which has about 1600 people. There's a school  a mosque, even a floating soccer field (which I did not see). The main attraction for us was the restaurant where we were to have lunch and we had a nice lunch and checked out some shops and hopped back on the boat.

The clouds were getting a little darker on one side and we next headed to the James Bond island or Khao Phing Kan island where the Bond film 'The Man with the Golden Gun' was shot. it is quite spectacular with an ice cream cone shaped rock in the middle of the bay. On the island there is a great rock which I cannot describe, maybe you can see the picture and get an idea. 

While there on the island the weather suddenly changed in minutes and a crazy wind blew hard and we all ran for protection in the rocks else we would have been blown back to Phuket. It looked like it would blow everything away for a while and after about 30 minutes subsided. We got on to our speed boat and off we were.

Eerie cave

Patrick had us stop at an island which had some stalactites and stalagmites - but to see the more interesting ones we had to almost bend double and go into a big room full of bats. Apparently this was the cremation place for some really old visitors to the island and he showed some markings which indicated that. It was fun. Half of us went and the other half stayed back.

Not what you think

Limestone formations

From there we went to another island, popular for swimming, water sports, beer and some stuff like that. While some water-loving members of the party flung themselves into the sea I stayed back and enjoyed a cold beer. After about an hour we headed back.

The chilling island

The last stop for the day was Koh Phae island which Patrick says is the sunset island and calls it the Patrick island. On this island the water recedes in the evening and a 300 mete sand bar appears which leads to an uninhabited island. There were many water jet riders doing stunts near the island. We hung around and looked for the sunset which looked normal. It's the island that is the highlight here and not the sunset.

Koh Phae Island

Headed back to the jetty and then back to the resort. Tiring day. Cannabis is legal here so M bought a few sticks - beginners stuff they said he said. We chilled in the evening and settled down for a more relaxed day the next day.

          

The Phuket Diaries - Day 1

A sudden trip with friends, a decision to step out of comfort zone, and lo behold we were in Phuket. There's a direct flight from Bangalore that lands directly in Phuket after three and a half hours. Thanks to taking the flight from Bangalore I got a chance to check out the new terminal in Bangalore which has a less intimidating presence than most airports. Anyway, unlike most trips where I do some amount of research I fully went by what friend Rajesh decided. An easy holiday, one day out boating to some islands, a chilled day and back. Sounded nice enough. 

Day 1 mostly went into flying to Phuket and arriving to find a nice, clean, less crowded place. There were hardly any VISA formalities - just some document to be filled in electronically - TDAC or something. The cars or vans are normally 10-12 seaters and quite spacious. They are very courteous the Thais, bowing deep for their namaskars, wishing you in a melodious sing song voice that somehow makes it very friendly and welcoming. I can greet in a curt manner but not when I do it in a sing song manner which makes you automatically smile. 

The resort was nice but away from the town. The beach was hardly a few minutes away and we headed out there. Not a soul here because the beaches are mostly annexed to these hotel properties. To the delight of some of the party it was discovered than weed was legal in Thailand.

The property was nice. Apparently the sea here is called the Andaman Sea (India shares maritime border with Thailand). Thailand itself I discovered later, was known as Siam in the olden days before the Europeans landed - Portuguese first. So there's a lot of Sino Portuguese architecture in the old town area of Phuket. 

       

Thought for the Day - Hope Life's Keeping you On Your Toes

I always wondered what a good wish for people could be. 'Have a good life' is too dull and says nothing, 'Stay blessed' seems very religious, 'wishing piece and happiness' also too general. 

I decided on 'hope life's keeping you on your toes'. It has action, drama, purpose, life, a sense of adventure and struggle. It can definitely make one feel like their struggles are being seen. And surely, everyone is struggling aren't they?

 Perhaps it is an even better answer to the question 'How are you doing?'

I can say 'hey, life's keeping me on my toes man.' 

I feel it will make people jealous to know i have a life that's keeping me on my toes. Not that i want to make people jealous. Simply get that feeling.

The Paradoxes of Our Lives - We Don't Act Because We Fear Consequences (Results)

The paradox is that we do not act because we fear the consequences of our action - we feel our act may not get good results so we freeze. 

The paradox however is that if we do not act we will get no result. Which is worse than some result. Which goes to say that we must act irrespective of the result. We must act with the thought that it will never something that we cannot foresee as of now. 

Action can bring in new vistas, open new doors. 

The Land that Still Speaks - Dr AM Sreedharan and Dr Sruthy Chandrasekhar

It's a collection of Tulu modern poems, translated by Dr AM Sreedharan, Director of the Centre of Excellence in Indian Knowledge Systems, Alliance University, Bangalore and Dr Sruthy Chandrasekhar, Founder and Head of the School of Performing, Visual and Creative Arts. Both are highly qualified and accomplished in their fields - Dr Sreedharan has translated novels, folk songs, short stories, poetry from Tulu, Kannada and has received several awards including the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for translation and Dr Sruthy is a performing artist, playback singer, researcher with a Doctorate in Carnatic Music, and is an exponent of Mohinyattam, Kathakali, Sopana Sangeetham, Abhinaya Sangeetham. 

The Land that Still Speaks is about how certain landscapes continue to articulate histories, identities in an age of tech change. It recounts Paddanas, the oral epics that narrate the origins of spirits, communities and moral worlds. Bhoota Kola and other such traditional forms of the old and the tension that exists between the old and the new. The book is dedicated to Sri Venkata Raja Puncchittaya (1936-2012), noted poet, playwright, actor and researcher. The first three poems are by him while the other 100 poems are written by 42 poets.

The themes explored in the book are about the land, life in Tulu Nadu, of the rural and urban life, school children, changes in attitudes, the beauty of the language, festivals, rituals such as making new rice, the family and tradition, devotional songs, fragrances of the land, even political subjects such as gender, bias and so on.

I met Dr Sreedharan when I visited the School of Performing, Visual and Creative Arts and he told me he had over 40 published books. He gifted me this book for which I am very grateful.          

N.R. Swami - The Doyen of Odisha Journalism - N. Jagannath Das

This book is a work of love from a loving son to an accomplished father, compiled by the well-known and much-loved sports journalist from Hyderabad, N. Jagannath Das who worked with The Indian Express for most of his career hails from a family of journalists. His father (and the subject of this book) N.R. Swami was a highly respected journalist in Odisha who wrote for PTI, The Statesman and The Hindu mainly, over five decades (he knew or met Presidents, Prime Ministers, Chief Ministers and so on on a personal basis) Das, the youngest of nine, five brothers (N.V.R.Swami, N. Pattabhi, N. Venkat Subbiah, Late N. Ramdas and Das - four of whom became journalists), and four sisters (Kasturi, Sita, Sarada and Ratnamala), has taken it upon himself to put together the story of his accomplished father N.R. Swami and preserve his memory for posterity.

N.R. Swami (1909-1981), was the son of a policeman who migrated from Guntur to Odisha. Thanks to some invaluable audio recordings done by one of his sons-in-law, some precious, early memories of N.R. Swami aka Swami Babu were captured. A peek into those early days of N. R. Swami reveal an energetic, intelligent and mischievous child who quickly learned to swim, ride a bicycle and even ride a horse (policemen used to ride horses then). He was also a stubborn child having run away twice from his house over some scolding. He also tells of how he was planning to buy a train and with half an anna - his strategy was to acquire the half anna, walk into the railway station and ask if he could buy a train! After schooling he was sent to Madras where he learned shorthand and typing and joined work at Rs 18 as a clerk at the Munsif court. He returned from Madras after finding the work rather unchallenging, and hoped to head off to Burma for better prospects. 

However he developed an interest in journalism after being inspired by the Satyagraha movement. He wrote an article and sent it off to PTI - and that  article earned him an entry into journalism. His entry to The Statesman was even more dramatic. He applied for a job at The Statesman in Calcutta, which was mainly run by Britishers, and was called for an interview. He reached Calcutta by train and called them throughout the day but found no answer. At the end of the day he decided to return home to Odisha and made one last call from Howrah station. This time he was called for the interview and given the job. The bosses were, it appears, testing if he had the patience and persistence required of a good journalist. NR Swami displayed both in ample measure. (There's a story of how he went to cover the floods in the dark and was on the railway track with his friend when he fortuitously heard the oncoming train and stepped back just in the nick of the time. All to cover the news and bring it to the public.)

Energetic, diligent, persuasive, N. R. Swami had an eye for a good story, was first on the scene, backed his stories with meticulous research, facts and statistics, and maintained true an uncompromising attitude in his search for the truth. He covered elections, wrote on government policy, covered calamities like drought and floods, cyclones, the lives of adivasis, wildlife, and even sports. President VV Giri was a personal friend and would always meet him when he visited Orissa - once even invited NR Swami and his spouse Sita along with the family to the Raj Bhavan in Bhubaneswar. (I think I saw Das's picture as a young boy at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.) He met Mahatma Gandhi, Nehru, was a good friend of Biju Patnaik and several others. He was once offered the Rajya Sabha seat which he declined saying he was a journalist and not a politician. Guided by his values and ethics, a loving heart and a zest of life, Swami loved his cars (Minx, Morris Minor, Ford Prefect, Standard Herald), his dogs (had a dalmatian), his cigarettes which he rolled himself and of course his work. No wonder he carved a name for himself as a pioneer in journalism in Odisha.

They say - 'if you have not made enemies, you have not stood up for anything. N.R. Swami's upright stance and reporting things without bias, as he saw them, cost him. The Congress Government in Orissa then headed by Dr Mahatab were unhappy with his reports and in what we now see as not an unusual plot, wrote to PTI, The Statesman and The Hindu, that Swami seemed to be on the payroll of a foreign embassy to oust the Congress  and should be removed from his job. PTI transferred him while the other two did not heed the letter. The Hindu on the other hand, sent Swami a copy of the letter they received from the government. Armed with the letter, Swami filed a defamation case against the government - a case which he won and was awarded Rs. 28000 for loss of reputation! It was a landmark case as the courts then had the guts to stand up to the ruling government and noted that the CM's evidence was not credible. However the court proceedings took a long time (finally cleared in 1970). In the meanwhile he left PTI, shifted to a small two room house with his large family, a house so small that most of the belongings were left out in the garden and he would sleep in his car. Things improved and he shifted into a bigger house later.

His meetings with Mahatma Gandhi did not go well but mostly because of Gandhi's likes and dislikes - once because of the smell of tobacco (Swami was a smoker) and once because he was wearing western clothes (he was a natty dresser).The ones with Nehru seemed to have gone better after a stuttering start - once when Nehru and Lady Mountbatten came to Orissa and went missing he followed them down to the guest house under the pretext of delivering a newspaper and managed to meet him and in another by getting into the same compartment as the train was moving and staying on for an interview.  There are articles about the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi being hit by a stone in 1967 when she came for a rally (a student threw it), about Hirakud dam where he covered the aspects of development and tribal displacement and Nehru's vision of 'temples of tomorrow', of the National Games of 1958 which was dominated by Milkha Singh and Gulzara Singh, about a judge being unhappy with a poorly drafted document, about the Nandankanan zoo and its white tigress Khairi (which actually was tame and was brought to their house by the Conservator). He received a citation from the Indian Institute for National integration in 1976 in recognition of his lifelong work. 

The book is a fascinating peek into his life and like I said, a work of love, which will serve the family, young writers and journalists, and students of life well. There is much to learn from his work ethic and values and discipline. The gentleness that is ascribed to him shows in the words he uses - for example he would not write that a record was 'broken' but used 'lowered' which is a gentler perspective. Another interesting story on how his reports have been archived systematically is that an American couple who lived next door to them in Bhubaneswar, Richard Tubb and his wife, took it upon themselves to organise the thousands of newspaper cuttings in a folder which became the source material for this book. 

The 112 page book has a nice size, wonderful pictures of family, writing tools such as the typewriters, camera, scanned copies of some reports and essays written by his sons, daughter. daughter in law, one granddaughter. The foreword is written by PV Rajagopal, IPS (Retd) and a preface by Brojendra Patnaik (former Principal of BJB College). It is a well captured snapshot of a life well-lived and an effort I feel that should be emulated by every family to record the stories of their elders which can be lost to their children, grandchildren and so on. Future generations will know them as real people with real stories and not just as an ancestor, a few pictures and a fading memory. For this I commend Das in taking up this initiative and bringing the story of his father to a wider audience. 

I really enjoyed reading it. It's a nice easy read, with fascinating details and information. It is well-produced and has just the right balance - not too much, and not too little. Good job Das and here's wishing the book all success. And looking forward to more of your books. Like your father would say 'Keep Writing'!            

Hyderabad by Walk - Yusuf Tekri Food Walk

Deccan Archives has a very busy couple of weeks with a bunch of programs. I liked the food walks part - one at Yusuf Tekri which I have never been to, and another at Mallepally, which I have been to last year. (I would have gone again if it wasn't the next day.)

Yusuf Tekri

I called Vasu, my partner in these walks, , and he was game. He also got his childhood friend Anand who was at All Saints High School with us and then went to Little Flower Junior College and further on to CBIT with Vasu. Though we were in adjacent classrooms in All Saints and had many common friends, Anand and I didn't recognise one another one bit. We probably operated in different orbits. But that didn't matter as caught up now and tried to get a few common points like friends, teachers etc.

Here's the Shehr walks schedule. 

Anyway the three  of us went to Yusuf Tekri, an old imposing mansion at Toli Chowki, apparently owned at one time by a Subedar from Gulbarga who served with the sixth Nizam. Right now it's not inhabited, except for a few youngsters who were busy doing something on the steps. Not long after, we were joined by a young couple, a journalist and a professor of public policy who teaches in Gitam. I remember meeting them on the Rashtrapati Nilayam walk and they recognised me as well. Since we recognised one another we didn't reaquaint ourselves with names. So I ended up not knowing their names but knowing another young man, Bismay, from Bhubaneshwar, who I met for the first time. Such is life. Wahaj came with Dheeraj and we got off to the food walk in the right earnest. This is just a food walk said Wahaj which sounded interesting. 

Toli Chowki as I remember in the 90s was full of farm houses and rather desolate. It was then the beginning of the Old Mumbai Highway once you passed Mehdipatnam and wound it's way along fields I guess until one hit the Central University campus which was equally desolate. Now Toli Chowki a crowded, glitzy place with all kinds of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean food, brought home by Hyderabadis who lived abroad and have made their way back home. The farm houses have gone and so have the trees and its just crazy buildings all over. 

4 Seasons - the big daddy

We walked to the famous food court where 4Seasons is located, opposite Shah Ghouse restaurant, and a hundred other food outlets, a few minutes from where we met. Wahaj guided us in his unhurried, courteous and controlled manner. He has this way about him where he makes everyone comfortable, says just enough, is approachable, has a sense of humor, is knowledgeable...all wonderful qualities...most of all he just handles everything so smoothly that you can just relax and have a good time. 

Vasu in a pensive mood after the Ice and Spice experience

We first walked into this place called Ice and Spice which is a few shops away in the same row as 4Seasons. Here he ordered small portions of Qubbus (a fluffy roti) and falafel. We stuffed the Qubbus with falafel (like a vada pav) and added the other ingredients with it. Delicious. There were some dips to go with it. 

Mutabbaq

Post Qubbus and falafel he ordered Mutabbaq which was like a sandwich - chicken with some fine fillings between bread. Again, delicious stuff and I had a quarter, very conscious of the fact that we have other joints to visit. The conversations were fun with Anand sharing a lot of information about his life in Wisconsin, his DJ son who had this fascinating career, Vasu with his jokes, the rest of us doing our bit and Dheeraj and Wahaj chipping in. As we stepped out we picked up a hibiscus drink. Quite nice. 

Raising a toast to Mutabbaq

A few shops down we walked into Siddique Kebab Centre, and went upstairs to sit. It's a bit crowded and a bit messy but quite popular by the crowds. We found places luckily because after we sat a  lot of people came and simply stood waiting for a long time. 

Siddique Kebab Centre - pretty popular

Awaiting the kebabs

Wahaj ordered a fish kebab (a whole fish) followed by chicken kebab. Quite filling and I was suggesting we walk around a bit before our next stop. We circled the food court and moved on.

We crossed the busy road and walked over to Hassan Dairy where Wahaj ordered some nice khova malai bin and gulam jamun bun. Though it looked rather heavy it was not - was not very sweet, not very heavy. I ate a quarter and loved it.

Hassan Dairy 

Checking out the stuff

Onwards to Nice Juice Centre which was spread all over but which had this nice upstairs bit, where we had a choice of fruit salad or fresh fruit juice. Since chai was on offer next I decided to go with fruit salad and it was pretty good. I shared it with Anand, it was pretty huge. 

Nice Juice Centre

Anand, me and Wahaj toasting with Fruit Salad

And then we trudged along to the Kabul restaurant nearby which had a zafrani chai counter outside and i shared one with Vasu.

 And then pudina paan at the paan shop, small a very handleable. 

Pudina paan

I was feeling quite full by then which is one of the objectives of a food walk I guess. We bid good bye to the rest and headed off. Anand said we could do a walk around the complex he lives in and so we did walk for 10 minutes before we headed back. Fully worth the 1500 bucks. Thanks Deccan Archives, Safwan who pointed me in the direction, Wahaj for leading the walk and Dheeraj for helping.